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A powerful message of true love and strength gives the story of a blind dog who was found wandering alone in a village of Naoussa and has now found her own home after an incredible adventure.
Although blind, one day she decided to leave the stray animal shelter in an area outside Naoussa and following her instinct and her love for Dimitris Sidiropoulos, she ended up back at his home.
The beginning of a strong bond
It all started a few months ago in the village of Chariessa where one day Dimitris Sidiropoulos, the village president, spotted a small dog, about 2 years old, wandering alone on his property, looking for a few moments of play. He noticed immediately that her eyes were white and she had no vision. Thinking that she might also be looking for food, he decided to feed her. "After I gave her food, she remained in the field so I went the next day and fed her again. So one day, she was found outside my house which is a few kilometers (500 meters) from the field without me knowing exactly how she arrived. Possibly from the smell," he told ThessToday.gr.
As expected, he kept her temporarily and continued to take care of her daily until a solution was found for where she would be taken. "I contacted my partner from the animal welfare organization of Naoussa from which we have support in terms of stray animals. We did the necessary vaccinations and she stayed with me for about a month, then she was transferred to the temporary stray shelter of the Municipality of Naoussa where she is located outside the area and 10 km from my house," she said.
Love led again...to the president's house
One month at Mr. Sidiropoulos' place was enough to develop a strong bond of love and companionship with the little dog. Surprisingly, one rainy day he spotted her outside his house, battered and covered in mud and blood. He managed, as he claimed, in a "magical" way to open the barbed wire of the shelter and after a few days she arrived at his home following her instincts.
\N"I knew that she had been gone alone for about a week. I asked every day how the dog was doing and one day I was told by the manager that she was gone and after five days she showed up at my house. She struggled for days to make it this far as it is a long distance. I make no secret that I cried when I saw her. Though blind she managed to get close to me. I characteristically said your destiny and my destiny is to be together. I decided to keep her and she will become the 16th member of my dog family", the president explained with emotion.
The mayor of Naoussa
It is worth mentioning that in the yard of his house where the blind dog has now found love and care, 13 other dogs live, of which only three are bonded. "They are all together in the same place and live in harmony. She plays all day with the others and as soon as we go out in the yard she comes straight to our feet. They all know their feeding time and gather around the moment my wife gives them their food. The blind dog, in fact, sometimes when she feels insecure or feels threatened, she gets a little wild because of her lack of vision as well. However, when she understands that there is no danger, she calms down and all is very well. We have neutered 13 of them and our newest member is expected to be neutered soon," described Mr. Sidiropoulos.
The village president, influenced by his wife's weakness for animals, became quite attached to them and at the moment he can't part with them. "I have now realized that more love is received from the stray dogs you take care of than from my three, for example, that I had them since they were young," he said and continued by wanting to point out that "If someone cannot keep a dog for whatever reason, it is good to give it somewhere so that it is not suddenly on the street and of course not to abuse it either. I consider it a great sin. Let them not give them food or care but at least not torture them or cause them harm."
The mayor of Naoussa
The mayor of Naoussa, Nikolas Karanikolas, was also moved by the story of the blind dog, speaking to ThessToday.gr stresses that it is a message of hope, courage, solidarity and strength to all those who experience health problems, social and economic difficulties. "I visited the president's house and I noticed that the blind dog is happy near him. Without understanding exactly the space and distances, she was back in his home, echoing strength and will as a weapon. Through such a simple example we can learn and try to cope with everything that happens even with the help of someone."
He also explained the serious problem that exists in Naoussa with stray animals. "Unfortunately we have a lot of strays in our area. The unfortunate thing is that many people abuse them. The management of strays is a problem which we have to treat more seriously as a country. It is also, we would say, an insult to our culture. We have some temporary shelters available until the municipality has a certified animal shelter," he commented, noting the strong interest of citizens for adoption even from distant parts of Greece, such as Athens. "A significant effort is being made by the Stray Animal Association in Naoussa, which has networked with other associations and thus adoptions from various parts of Greece are constantly arising," the mayor concluded.
Source: thesstoday
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